written by merel dagher (PEACE advisor)

While it’s always fun to figure out your schedule, it can also get really stressful, especially when deciding how many units to take and whether extracurriculars will take up too much time. Often times, I’ve heard advisors telling students to not overwhelm themselves and to not pile on units, especially if they have other things to do. While I agree with that advice for the most part, I don’t think it’s fair to say that all students operate at the same pace or work in the same manner.

For example, I know friends who are taking 14 units with a lot of free time and they are enjoying it thoroughly. I also know some friends (myself included) who are taking upwards of 20 units, as well as doing many other activities, and also loving it. When constantly bombarded with stories from other students or from advisors saying “oh you can’t do this because others have…”, then that statement becomes a bit too general.

In any case, for all those who are signing up for classes and don’t know what to do, I would say go with your instinct, in the end. More often than not, you know yourself more than anybody else, which means you know your work ethic, motivations, and how much you can push yourself. If taking 20 units and working two jobs and being involved in other activities is too much to handle, don’t do it. And if taking 14 units and taking the semester to invest in other things is too much to handle, also don’t do it. But if either of those scenarios (or something in between) fits your persona and comfort, then who’s stopping you?

It’s always important to understand class difficulty, time commitments, and previous experiences, but in the end, internal reflection is necessary and fair. And I think, given that we’re all students here, we’ve earned that right to choose what’s best for us.​Best of luck!